Good Evidence vs Unbelief

 

If There is Such Good Evidence for God, Then Why Don’t More People Believe?

by Ronnie Littleton

 

Surgeon General’s Warning: Smoking Causes Lung Cancer, Heart Disease, Emphysema, and May Complicate Pregnancy. These alarming words are rarely disputed by normal thinking people. The evidence overwhelmingly proves that smoking leads to cancer and other illnesses. Even cigarette makers acknowledge this. Still, people choose to smoke. They treat the warnings like hoax or are blinded to the facts that they are addicted to nicotine. Some even smoke because they think it makes them look cool. They choose popularity over evidence.

The evidence for God’s existence is strong as well. The cosmological argument tells us that the universe began to exist and must have a cause. The moral argument teaches that there must be a moral Law Giver, or else there would be no moral standards. The teleological argument informs us that the finely tuned universe shows that there is a Designer. Other arguments pose equally convincing evidences for God. So the question remains: Why don’t more people believe?

The basic cause of all unbelief is a sinful heart. The Bible says we are all dead in our trespasses and sins before we come to faith in Christ (Eph 2:1). This means unbelief is our native condition. Belief goes against the grain and happens only when God makes us alive through faith (Eph 2:5). The question remains, with so much evidence for faith, why do so many people remain in unbelief?

One reason may be ignorance of the evidence. This is why it is important for Christians to study the evidence and be prepared to present it in a logical, gracious way. The Bible commands us to “always be ready to give a defense” (1 Pt 3:15) as you “go … and make disciples of all nations” (Mt 28:19).

What about those who have heard the evidence but still don’t believe? Are they somehow smarter than believers, able to see holes in our faith? NOT AT ALL. When told about the gospel, some people realize that a life given to Christ will result in sacrifice and serving others. The idea that they have to give up their sin compels them to reject God no matter how good the evidence is. Still others say they reject God because they’ve seen Christians act sinfully. This amounts to using the sins of others to justify your own sins and unbelief.

Belief is a two-sided coin: on one side is the evidence; the other side is the will. Just as some people continue to smoke despite the evidence, some refuse to believe in God even when they know the evidence. Others remain skeptical, because they are steeped in a worldview that does not allow them to evaluate the evidence properly.

God gives us the freedom to choose or reject Him. It is important for Christians to live lives devoted to the truth of the gospel so unbelievers can see Christ in us. Also, we must study to know the most effective answers for the hope that is in us. There will always be unbelief in the world. Live in such a way that you can be used to overcome unbelief.